Snow surface rider



P 1967 c. T. CHRISTY 3,343,847

SNOW SURFACE RIDER Filed March 14, 1966 ENTO Q CRAfi CHRB BY Mun/(0. 5 ATTORNEY nited States Patent 3,343,847 SNOW SURFACE RIDER Craig T. Christy, 5905 NE. Everett, Portland, Oreg. 97213 Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 533,884 4 Claims. (Cl. 28012) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device of the Skate Board type for use on a snow slope, particularly by occupant in standing position, and so constructed as to be capable of skillful maneuvering and rapid turning.

This invention relates in general to that type of device which is intended to be slidably movable over a snowcovered surface for the purpose of enabling a person to slide down a snow slope while riding on the device.

The invention relates particularly to such a device for sliding on snow which is especially suitable for being manipulated by a person in standing position on the device, and thus adapted to be used in somewhat the same manner as the well known skate board for paved surfaces and the like, but which also may be used and easily manipulated by a person riding on the device in sitting position.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for sliding on snow on which device there is only a single longitudinally-extending runner, as distinguished from devices of the sled type.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and intriguing sliding device for use on snow which will be very maneuverable due to the fact that the device has only a single ground-engaging runner extending longitudinally along the bottom of the device and longitudinally bowed.

Another object is to provide such a sliding device particularly designed to support a person in standing position thereon, while also usable by a person in sitting position thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel snow surface rider which will be maneuverable by and very sensitive to the bodily motions of the person riding the device.

An additional object is to provide a sliding device for riding on snow in the skillful guiding and maneuvering of which sharp quick turns will be facilitated by the tilting of the device to one side or the other.

A still further object is to provide a snow surface rider which will be of very simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture and which will find a ready market in the increasing public demand for recreational devices for use on snow slopes.

The manner in which the device of the present invention is constructed and the manner in which it is maneuvered in use will be readily understood from the following brief description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

IG. 1 is an illustration showing the manner in which the snow surface rider is used when the person on the device is riding in a standing position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the snow surface rider;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation taken on the line indicated at 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 but drawn to a larger scale, showing in full lines the snow surface rider in normal position for moving straight down a slope, and showing in broken lines a tilted position into which 3,343,847 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 the device is brought when being caused to turn to one side; and

FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating how still sharper and quicker turns can be made by extreme tipping of the device to one side or the other and thereby bringing a side edge of the deck into actual contact with the snow surface.

The snow surface rider consists of a flat main board or deck board 10, preferably substantially boat-shaped in outline as shown in FIG. 2, with diverging edges tending to converge at the front end. The side edges 14 and 15 of the deck board, at least along the front half of the deck board, are identically convexly curved in the plane of the board.

The width of the deck board 10 increases from the front tip to a transverse line of maxi-mum width located forwardly of the longitudinal center line of the deck board. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the width of the deck board 10 increases from the front tip to the points 14', 15' on the side edges 14 and 15, respectively, located at the terminals on an imaginary line 1415 (indicated in dotted line), which preferably is located forwardly of the middle point of the longitudinal center line of the deck board. The reason for this will be presently explained.

A pair of blocks 11 and 12 are secured to the top face of the deck board 10 at the opposite ends respectively to serve as rests for the sides of the feet of the person riding on the board, as indicated in FIG. 1. Thus the block 11 and the block 12 are secured on the deck board 10 at the front and rear ends respectively as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

A bowed bottom member or runner 13, the longitudinal center line of which is in registry with the longitudinal center line of the deck board 10, has its ends secured to the ends of the deck board respectively on the bottom face of the deck board. As shown in FIG. 3, this runner 13 is of uniform width throughout, a preferred width for this bottom board or runner being approximately three inches, and this member constitutes the single runner for the snow surface rider. The runner 13 is bowed, as shown in FIG. 3, its bowed shape is maintained at all times in spite of the weight of the person being carried on the snow surface rider, and the runner 13 is held spaced from the bottom face of the deck board 10 between its secured ends by a transverse spacer member 16 (FIG. 3) secured to the deck board 11 and to the runner 13. This spacer member is preferably positioned nearer to the front than to the rear of the snow surface rider and is thus preferably in transverse alignment with the points 14', 15' of the deck board. Consequently the bowed runner 13 preferably is spaced the greatest distance below the deck board 10 at the widest part of the deck board.

While this snow board may be made in different sizes, a preferred size, suitable for the average user, is for the overall length of the deck board 10 to be approximately three feet and the maximum width of the same approximately 11 inches, with the transverse line of maximum width intersecting the longitudinal center line of the deck board at a point about 16 inches from the front tip and 20 inches from the opposite end, and, as previously mentioned, with the spacer member 16 in registration with the transverse line of maximum width, although many variations in these dimensions would be possible.

If the user employs the snow surface rider in the standing position generally preferred he places himself on it as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1, with the sides of his feet engaging the inside faces of the end blocks 11 and 12, respectively. As he slides down over the snow the tilting of the device to one side or the other, due to the fact that the runner is bowed, will cause the device to turn in the direction in which it is tilted. Thus the device is exceedingly maneuverable and easily and quickly turned.

The same is true if the user rides the device in sitting position. If an exceedingly sharp quick turn is desired the device is tilted to an extreme position as illustrated in FIG. 5 where a side edge of the deck, actually contacting the snow surface, causes an added turning force to be received by the device.

A feature of the device which aids the skill with which it can be maneuvered is the fact that the spacer member 16 is placed nearer to the front than to the rear of the device, as previously mentioned, causing the greater amount of bowing of the runner to be forward. Thus the rear portion of the runner is substantially straight for considerable distance and the rider, by placing more of his weight on the rear of the device, and thus causing the straightest portion of the runner to be in contact with the snow, will cause the device to attain maximum speed in a straight course down hill. On the other hand, shifting more of the 'weight forward, and thus bringing the more curved portion of the runner in contact with the snow combined with tilting the device, as previously mentioned, will facilitate turns.

Thus, this snow surface rider, with its maneuverability and flexibility of use, offers an interesting challenge to the skill of the person riding on it.

I claim:

1. A snow surface rider comprising a rigid deck board extending in a single plane, said deck board being of varying width from front end to rear end and attaining its greatest width somewhere between the front and rear ends, a single runner extending centrally longitudinally along beneath said deck board, said runner being of much less width than said deck board and of constant width through out its extent, said runner being longitudinally and downwardly bowed, the ends of said runner secured to the ends of said deck board respectively, a spacer member interposed between said deck board and said runner for maintaining said runner firmly in its bowed position at all times, and a pair of foot rest 'blocks mounted at the front and rear ends respectively of said deck board.

2. The snow surface rider of claim 1 with the place of greatest width of said deck board being nearer to the front end of said deck board than to the rear end, and with the side edges of said deck board being identically convexly curved between said front end and said place of the greatest width.

3. The snow surface rides of claim 1 with said spacer member located nearer to the front end of said snow surface rider than to the rear end in order to cause relatively more bowing in the front portion of said runner than in the rear portion.

4. The snow surface rider of claim 1 with the place of greatest width of said deck board being nearer to the front end than to the rear end of said snow surface rider and with the location of said spacer member coinciding with the place of greatest width of said deck board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,215 5/1886 McCormick 28018 1,569,885 1/1926 Robblee 280-25 2,181,391 11/1939 Burgeson et a1. 280l8 2,188,080 1/1940 Grimm 280-12 FOREIGN PATENTS 929,149 12/ 1947 France.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SNOW SURFACE RIDER COMPRISING A RIGID DECK BOARD EXTENDING IN A SINGLE PLANE, SAID DECK BOARD BEING OF VARYING WIDTH FROM FRONT END TO REAR END AND ATTAINING ITS GREATEST WIDTH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS, A SINGLE RUNNER EXTENDING CENTRALLY LONGITUDINALLY ALONG BENEATH SAID DECK BOARD, SAID RUNNER BEING OF MUCH LESS WIDTH THAN SAID DECK BOARD AND OF CONSTANT WIDTH THROUGHOUT ITS EXTEND, SAID RUNNER BEING LONGITUDINALLY AND DOWNWARDLY BOWED, THE ENDS OF SAID RUNNER SECURED TO THE ENDS OF SAID DECK BOARD RESPECTIVELY, A SPACER MEMBER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID DECK BOARD AND SAID RUNNER FOR MAINTAINING SAID RUNNER FIRMLY IN ITS BOWED POSITION AT ALL TIMES, AND A PAIR OF FOOT REST BLOCKS MOUNTED AT THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS RESPECTIVELY OF SAID DECK BOARD. 